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Sheldon should be seething

Jeff McLane and Zach Berman

The Eagles and Donovan McNabb's agent Fletcher Smith are trying to rework the final two years of the quarterback's contract, according to a report from Comcast SportsNet's Derrick Gunn.

The essence of the report, which cites a league source, is that the team might guarantee McNabb's 2009 and 2010 salaries and perhaps even give him a bump in pay to elevate his annual average salary among NFL quarterbacks. McNabb is scheduled to make $9.2 million this season and $10 million next season. The second year of that deal is not guaranteed.

If this report is true, cornerback Sheldon Brown has every right to be seething in South Carolina right now, because he is underpaid by cornerback standards.

Brown has four years left on his deal as opposed to McNabb's two years, but the cornerback told me earlier this spring that he'd be willing to rework his deal rather than rip up the current contract. The veteran cornerback has $1.75 million escalator clauses in each of the final three seasons of his deal. A league source said those clauses are Pro Bowl incentives.

Brown has never made the Pro Bowl during his seven-year career, but he also has never missed a game. He said he'd be happy if the Eagles guaranteed the $5.25 million in incentives over the final three years of the deal.

If the Eagles are willing to guarantee McNabb $10 million or more, then they should be willing to talk to Brown about his contract, too.